Monday, November 26, 2012

Its a big question for every foreigner and student like us , who are always curious about why Korean men marrying foreign women .

The main reason Korean men opt to marry foreign women is
because they tend to be less picky than Korean women about the
educational background and financial and social status of their
husbands, a survey suggests. Matchmaking firm Bien-Aller polled 274
single men and 274 single women through its website.

According to
the poll, 32.1 percent of the men said they felt the biggest benefit of
marrying foreign women is their lack of interest in their groom's
educational background and financial or social status. The next best
reason was their belief that foreign brides would be submissive (23
percent), make their lives more comfortable (15.3 percent), and that the
men would not have to get stressed about their in-laws (13.8 percent).

Among
the women, 31.4 percent said they would marry a foreigner because it
would make their lives more leisurely than marrying a Korean. The next
most popular reasons were the belief that a foreign husband would be
more dedicated to his family (21.9 percent), more mature (17.2 percent)
and less picky about the educational level and their financial or social
status (12.8 percent).

When choosing a foreign woman, the men
said skin color is the most important factor (37.6 percent), while
Korean women prefer men from advanced countries (28.5 percent).

"As
the educational and income levels of women increase, both men and women
are having a tough time finding spouses," said one Bien-Aller staffer.
"Women are more selective when it comes to choosing their husbands, so
more and more men end up turning to foreign women, while Korean women
have increasing trouble finding Korean men who meet their expectations
in terms of education, age and other criteria."

In
late October 1922, a motley fleet of warships, steamers and fishing
boats arrived in Wonsan, Korea. Aboard these ships were more than 10,000
White Russians and 1,500 Koreans fleeing the advance of the Red Army
into Vladivostok. The authorities in Korea were unprepared for such a
huge exodus but did what it could to ease the plight of these displaced
people.

The majority of the refugees elected to
stay in Wonsan — perhaps hoping to one day return to Vladivostok — but
about a third of the fleet made its way to Busan, Korea and then to
Shanghai, China. It was not an easy journey. Two ships and their crew
were lost in a typhoon. According to one account, when the fleet arrived
at Busan there were 1,700 naval officers and men, 800 military cadets
and 500 women and children aboard the ships and they entertained the
idea of possibly going to Australia as settlers.

Those
who elected to remain in Wonsan were forced to live on the ships —
their living conditions likened to those aboard “slave ships of the
early days of colonial American history.” Many of them were sick.
According to one newspaper account, there were 574 Russian invalids of
which 270 were treated at the Red Cross Hospital but the rest were
forced to find comfort in the discarded Customs sheds, sleeping on
concrete floors heated by small stoves.

According
to historian Donald Clark, many of the refugees were financially
unprepared for their new lives. Those who had money took passage to
Shanghai aboard one of the steamers but those without “were forced to
stay in Wonsan through the winter. Men offered a day’s work for a cup of
tea and some bread, but no one would hire them.”

This
seems at odds with the accounts in the contemporary press. Japanese
authorities in Wonsan were said to have given away free train tickets to
anyone wanting to go to China but only 1,700 accepted the offer.
Another article claimed that there were many Japanese in Wonsan who
wanted to employ the Russian refugees, especially the railroad which
would employ a couple of thousand men. Women would be used as nurses,
maids and general servants.

Clark notes that by
spring many of the refugees left Wonsan. Those who remained in Korea
went to small provincial cities and opened up little shops, went to work
for the numerous gold mines or made their way to Seoul where they found
any type of employment possible.

Of course,
desperate people do desperate things. Some women sold their bodies and
some men became pirates who terrorized the waters of northern Korea and
Russia while others engaged in smuggling watches and jewelry.

Surprisingly,
the Japanese authorities did not confiscate the large number of weapons
that the refugees had brought with them. There were several incidents
of illegal arms transfers to China that peppered the newspapers in the
early 1920s but none of them were as serious as the one involving Capt.
Lawrence D. Kearney, an American businessman in China. Kearney seems to
have been quite the character. He was about 50 years old, extremely
obese and had two artificial limbs.

He
clandestinely purchased a large number of weapons from the Russian
officers in Wonsan. The weapons were secretly loaded aboard a Russian
refugee ship which was then sold to Kearney’s company. The ship then
sailed to China.

These weapons were to be used
in an effort to make the civil governor of Chekiang, Chang Tsai-yang,
president of China. As part of the plan, the foreign population in
Shanghai would be poisoned by gas bombs made by a Russian chemist and
dropped by former Russian aviators. Fortunately the plot was never
carried out.

As for Kearney, an arrest warrant
was issued but he managed to avoid — at least for a couple of years —
being caught. Like many interesting, if not notorious, personalities of
that era, his fate has been lost with the passage of time.

Psy arrives at the 40th American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 18. Psy's music video "GangnamStyle" became the most watched item on YouTube on Saturday, with over 800 million views. / Reuters-Yonhap

Rapper/singer
Psy’s “Gangnam Style” set the record for YouTube’s most-watched video
of all time with more than 805 million views as of Saturday. It has
broken the record in just over four months set by Canadian heartthrob
Justin Bieber’s “Baby” in 33 months.

YouTube said the video has “been a massive hit at a global level unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”

“Each
day, Gangnam Style is still being watched between 7 and 10 million
times,” YouTube trend manager Kevin Allocca said in a blog post
Saturday. “The velocity of popularity for PSY’s outlandish video is
unprecedented.”

The viewer count for the video registered 10
million views on Aug. 2, 100 million on Sept. 4, 200 million on Sept.
18, 300 million on Sept. 28, 400 million on Oct. 8, 600 million on Oct.
31 and 700 million on Nov. 11.

“The views have been evenly
spread across various regions from North America, South America, and
Europe to Asia,” YG Entertainment said.

Worldwide sensation

The
video, in which Psy performs his now trademark horse-riding dance,
became a worldwide sensation right after its release in July through
YouTube.

“Gangnam Style” set the Guinness World Record of “The
most liked video” on YouTube by receiving 2,295,231 likes from viewers
on Sept. 20.

Psy’s song has also topped charts from Britain to
Australia. It won Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards and a New
Media prize at the American Music Awards. “Gangnam Style” has been
nominated for Favorite Music Video by the People’s Choice Awards 2013
which will be held on Jan. 9 in the United States.

The video has
created international fandom in which tens of thousands joined giant
flashmob performances of Psy’s horse-riding dance in cities like Paris
and Rome.

The K-pop star, whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, was
also awarded one of Korea’s highest cultural honors, the Okgwan Order of
Cultural Merit this month.

His popularity continues as he
performed a mash-up of “Gangnam Style” with pop icon Madonna during her
concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden this month.

Korea has
welcomed the rapper’s sensational success as a hopeful sign that
“hallyu” (the Korean cultural wave), now supported by the government,
will see continued popularity abroad.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

North Gyeongsang Province is full of scenic mountains dotted
with ancient Confucian academies. These private academies were
established nationwide during the Chosun Dynasty (1392-1897) to equip
students with Confucian virtues and knowledge.

Even today, these
cultural properties continue to serve their intrinsic function as
educational facilities to promote Confucian values. Scholars also use
them as venues for memorial rites.

Byeongsan Seowon

Byeongsan Seowon in Andong was built in memory of Ryu
Seong-ryong, a renowned Chosun scholar, and is of significant
architectural value. The Nakdong River flows in front of the academy,
which is framed against the backdrop of low mountains. At the entrance
to the compound, stairs lead to a hall that can accommodate over 200
people. Known for its unique layout, this academy features curving
wooden pillars and foundation stones that support its pavilion.

Byeongsan Seowon

The use of natural materials shows how nature was revered
during this period and architects placed a strong emphasis on designing
buildings that integrated harmoniously with their environment.

Oksan
Seowon in Gyeongju is home to the largest collection of ancient books
among the nation's Confucian academies. During the Japanese invasions of
Korea in the late 16th century, as well as during the 1950-53 Korean
War, cultural artifacts including some 1,000 literary works now housed
in the academy were saved by the efforts of local villagers.

Oksan Seowon

Traditionally in Korea, buildings are constructed facing
southwards, where they provide natural access to the most sunlight. But
the main buildings of this academy face westwards to afford those inside
the best view as it is surrounded by mountains on the other three
sides.

Oksan Seowon

The academy's main building is Guindang, where Confucian
scholars would gather for academic seminars. This structure is unique as
it lacks windows so students are not distracted from their studies.

Dosan Seowon

Korea is now seeking to list a number of these Confucian
academies on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Dosan Seowon in
Andong and Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, both in North Gyeongsang Province.
The former was built in honor of Yi Hwang, a famous prime minister
during the Chosun period, while the latter was the first such academy
built during this time.

Samsung Electronics' latest Galaxy S3 smartphone is more
expensive in Korea than anywhere in the world except Japan, according to
a consumer rights group.

Consumers Korea, which researched the
price of the phone in 18 major cities around the world said Thursday
that it costs W994,400 (US$1=W1,087) on average in Korea, second only to
Japan where it cost W1.03 million. It is cheapest in the U.S. at
W736,650, and the average price tag of W874,980 in Europe is still
around W120,000 lower than here.

Samsung's Galaxy Note, effectively a larger version of the Galaxy S3, costs W933,900 in Korea, the fourth highest price.

Consumers Korea accused Samsung of exploiting its home advantage by squeezing customers.

Samsung claims the comparison is flawed because different
countries have different "distribution systems" and the specifications
of the phones differ slightly, according to a company spokesman.

Meanwhile,
the consumer group also found that a number of other products are more
expensive here than elsewhere. U.S. cosmetics brand Olay's range of
moisturizers is the second most expensive in Korea out of the 18 cities
surveyed, the price of L'Oréal sun cream is the second highest and of
Sisley sun cream the fourth highest. Levi's 501 jeans are the second
most expensive in the world behind Japan.

A spokesman for
Consumers Korea said goods like wine, cosmetics and jeans are mostly
overpriced because they are imported through a single channel. It called
for diversification of importers and retailers.

Korea ranks 11th in the world terms of soft power, up three
notches from the last year on the strength of emergence of K-Pop and
Psy's global hit "Gangnam Style." The U.K. tops the list.

Soft
power refers to means of friendly persuasion through sports and culture
rather than "hard" coercion backed by financial might and military
power.

The U.K. outpaced the U.S. as the world's most influential
nation in the index released by the advertorial magazine Monocle on
Monday. Germany came third, followed by France and Sweden. Japan ranked
sixth and China 22nd.

The term was coined by Prof. Joseph Nye of Harvard University in 1990.

The
U.K. ranked first thanks to the 22 British pop albums that made it to
No. 1 in foreign countries, the 65 medals British athletes won in the
last Olympics, and Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee events,
according to the magazine.

Korea came 19th in the first survey in
2010 and 14th last year. "Now known for more than just good technology,
the emergence of K-Pop, as exemplified by Psy's 'Gangnam Style,' is a
ready-made export," the Daily Mail reported.

Japan's ranking has
also persistently risen from 15th in 2010 to sixth, but China fell to
22nd this year from 17th in the first survey.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Claudia
Calero de Cabal, center, wife of the Colombian Ambassador Jaime Alberto
Cabal, and her colleagues pose for a photo at the Colombian booth at
the SIWA bazaar. / Korea Times photos by Kim Se-jeong

On
its 50th anniversary year, Seoul International Women’s Association
changed its annual bazaar venue to the Seoul History Museum in downtown
Seoul.

“The Seoul Metropolitan Government has
helped us” getting the venue at free of charge, said Terry Hartman,
president of the association also known as SIWA, told the Korea Times at
the bazaar on Tuesday.

For years, Seoul Grand
Hilton in northwestern part of the town has been a venue. It was
spacious, but visitors had to go through a hassle of getting there
because of its remote location. And the visitors had to pay to enter.

Three women from the Brazilian community in Seoul at the food court pose for a photo.

The
new location was less spacious, which made venues from 30 something
participating groups scatter through in the back of the lobby and on the
second floor, but it didn’t diminish an end-of-the-year shopping
atmosphere.

The usual items were there — from
clothes, jewelries, arts, folk art and crafts from participating
embassies, to chocolates and different kinds of authentic food.

But to some expats, it was a poor representation of what it used to be.

Zofia Majka, left, wife of the Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Majka, shows a bracelet to a visitor at the Polish booth.

“I’ve
been going to these for a few years. Every nation used to be
represented. A lot of expats used to go there to buy food. For example,
the British Embassy volunteers sold stuff that you can’t get in Korea.
Whereas this year the British Embassy among others, wasn’t even there,”
an expat named John said.

Organizers tried to
take advantage of the location by disseminating fliers attracting lunch
crowds from the office-filled neighborhood.

The
Polish ambassador’s wife Zofia Majka, a first-time participant, had a
selection of jewelry, porcelain dishes and pots and a painting done
byKrzysztof Recko-Rapsa, a Polish painter who recently had an exhibition
in Seoul, on her booth.

“I do appreciate this
opportunity, especially that we donate all the profits to people in
need,” she said. “There’s an old saying that if you have something to
share with others, you’re lucky. If not, your soul is empty.”

The
annual bazaar’s proceeds benefit more than 30 charities throughout
Korea. Some were invited to the bazaar to sell goods for themselves.

Kwak
Kwy-hoon, left, a survivor of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima on
Aug. 6, 1945, points to the dossiers donated by Japanese activists and
human rights lawyers at the National Institute of Korean History in
Gawcheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Ichiba Junko, center, president
of Osaka-based Association of Citizens for Supporting South Korean
Atomic Bomb Victims, and Lee Jae-suk, another survivor of the atomic
bomb, stand next to Kwak. Korea Times

GWACHEON,
Gyeonggi Province – A Hiroshima court’s historic ruling a decade ago in
favor of Kwak Kwy-hoon, a Korean survivor of the 1945 atomic bomb
blast, would have never been possible without the help of Japanese
activists and human rights lawyers, he said recently.

The
nature of the years-long legal battle calling for equal treatment for
Korean victims was unique, in that Japanese activists were in the same
boat with Korean survivors to fight against the Japanese government.

Despite
the partial victory in 2002, Kwak, 88, told The Korea Times last
Thursday that he, with strong support from dedicated Japanese activists
and lawyers, continued the legal fight against lingering discrimination.

Kwak is one of the approximately 70,000 Korean
victims of the atomic bombing of the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki which occurred in August, 1945.

Nearly
40,000 Koreans died from burns, radiation sickness or other injuries.
Among the remaining 30,000, some 23,000 survivors, including Kwak,
returned to Korea after World War II without getting compensation for
their injuries and forced labor.

Kwak, who back then served in the Japanese military was based in Hiroshima. He was drafted a year earlier at 19.

“It
was a beautiful morning on Aug. 6. I and my colleagues in the military
were preparing for our daily routine,” he recalled on the day when the
atomic bombs rained down on Hiroshima. “I saw an airplane fly in the sky
and thought that it was cool. Suddenly, all the area became as dark as
midnight. Later, I found myself bleeding and my back, the back side of
my head and other parts of my body were burnt because of the bombing.”

Kwak, then 20, was released two weeks after he was hospitalized.

He said, like him, the majority of the Korean victims were forced laborers.

“Back
in 1944, all people of my age who were born in 1924, were forced to
work as either soldiers or military personnel by Japan.”

The
Japanese government has provided its nationals, who were victimized by
the atomic bomb blast, with medical treatment and allowances.

But
these were unavailable for Korean or other foreign survivors of the
atomic bomb blast because Executive Order 402 stipulated that only
Japanese nationals are entitled to such benefits.

It
took nearly six decades for Kwak and other Korean survivors to
eventually be considered eligible to receive Japanese
government-sponsored medical care and financial compensation following a
lengthy litigation process initiated in 1998.

In
December 2002, a Hiroshima court made a historic ruling that all victims
of the atomic bomb blast, regardless of their nationality, are eligible
for such benefits. Consequently, in 2003, the Japanese government
scrapped the executive order in question.

Kwak said he had never imagined that he would win the legal battle.

Ichiba
Junko, a veteran Japanese activist who has dedicated her life to fight
for Korean victims of the atomic bombings, and human rights lawyers were
behind this.

These dedicated Japanese were accused
of siding with Korean survivors by their government. But this did little
to dissuade them from fighting the good cause.

Ongoing battle

Since
joining the Association of Citizens for Supporting South Korean Atomic
Bomb Victims based in Osaka in 1978 as a college student, Junko, 56, now
president of the organization, has lived up to her commitments of
fighting against an unrepentant Japan.

Junko helped
Korean survivors in their legal fight against the Japanese government,
played a key role in raising awareness of these victims in the Japanese
public discourse and raised funds to help the victims. She contacted
compassionate human rights lawyers to join the cause.

Nearly
800 grass-roots Japanese people of all walks of life joined hands for
the campaign to help Korean survivors. Each of them pays the annual
membership fee of 4,000 Japanese yen (approximately 55,000 won) to join
the group.

“We use membership fees to help Korean survivors. If we face shortages of financial resources, we fundraise,” Junko said.

The
veteran activist said she noticed a shift in the way Japanese officials
dealt with Korean victims before and after the 1990s.

“When
I and Korean survivors met Japanese foreign ministry officials in the
1980s to ask them to consider the victims for medical support and
compensation, they used to be snobbish and arrogant. I saw some Korean
survivors I took to the ministry weep after the meeting as they were
hurt by the way Japanese officials treated them,” Junko said.

“But
after the 1990s, Japanese officials treated them nicely, although they
repeated the same old rhetoric that all compensation was over in 1965
when Korea and Japan signed an agreement. They provided us a cup of hot
tea, saying they sympathized with the victims for the plight they were
forced to face back then.”

The Japanese activist
observed that South Korea’s rise from a poor, authoritarian nation to a
thriving economy with full-blown democracy after the Seoul Summer
Olympics in 1988 was probably at play behind the shift of Japanese
officials’ attitude toward Korean victims.

She
visited Seoul last week for a seminar on the atomic bomb survivors held
at the National Institute of Korean History based in the suburban city
of Gwacheon.

The event took place to commemorate
the Japanese activists’ donation of dossiers they compiled for the legal
battles to the state-run institute.

The
number of visitors to the country this year is expected to top the
landmark 10 million for the first time within this week, thanks to the
surge of Chinese and Japanese tourists.

The Korea
Tourism Organization (KTO) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism said today that they expect the 10 millionth foreign visitor to
arrive in Korea on Wednesday.

Their forecast comes
after examining immigration data in recent months: between January and
September, 8.44 million foreigners visited Korea, a 19-percent rise from
a year before, and the October tally almost reached 1 million.

“We
expect about 11.3 million to come by the end of the year, surpassing
our goal for this year of 11 million,” a KTO official said.

The state agency and the ministry will hold a welcome ceremony for the 10 millionth traveler at Incheon International Airport.

According
to the KTO, the annual number of inbound travelers exceeded 1 million
in 1978, 3 million in 1991, 5 million in 2000, and 7 million in 2010.
Since 1978, the figure has grown by 15 percent annually on average. Last
year, the nation had 9.79 million foreign visitors.

The
average growth rate for the last three years was 12.4 percent, which is
far higher than Italy’s 2.6 percent and the United States and China’s
2.9 percent, respectively, according to the official.

“Among
top 50 nations attracting largest numbers of tourists, Korea was the
only country to record double-digit growth for three consecutive years,”
the official said.

They said a surge of Chinese and
Japanese tourists has contributed to the huge growth: this year so far,
the number of Chinese travelers was 2.9 million, up 30 percent from
last year’s total 2.2 million. From July, more than 300,000 Chinese have
been coming here every month, exceeding the figure of Japanese which
used to be highest.

The number of Japanese travelers is still high, up 19.5 percent from last year.

“Hallyu,
based on K-pop and soap operas, was the major factor to attract
visitors. Travel agencies have also developed various tour programs,”
the official said.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Deborah
Thomas-Austin, president of the World Young Women’s Christian
Association (World YWCA), speaks during an interview with The Korea
Times at the Hi Seoul Youth Hostel in southwestern Seoul, Tuesday. She
was in Seoul for the International Training Institute hosted by Korea
YWCA from Nov. 8 to 13. / Yonhap

South
Korean nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) should work to provide
support for women and children in North Korea whenever they have the
opportunity, said the president of the World Young Women's Christian
Association (World YWCA).

"They should work to provide a safe
space to receive the refugees as well as aid them in accessing the
services and facilities they need," Deborah Thomas-Austin, the head of
the international body of young women's rights, said in an interview
with The Korea Times, Tuesday.

"They can also help the North
Koreans through collaborating with other agencies including the YWCA
member associations whose governments can have access in areas South
Korea may not have access to," she said.

Thomas-Austin was in
Seoul for the 2012 International Training Institute hosted by the Korea
YWCA from NOV. 8 TO 13, which was attended by 50 female participants
from 29 countries.

During the workshop there was a visit to the
demilitarized zone (DMZ) ― the heavily fortified border between the
North and South ― as part of an effort to have the participants connect
to the reality of the conflict situation and understand how people in
the communist regime are being affected by it.

The international
body has been actively involved in women’s rights issues in North
Korea. At the 2011 World YWCA Council, a resolution was passed on
bringing awareness to the situation faced by women and girls in the
isolated North as well as refugees coming to the South.

The
Trinidad and Tobago native joined the women’s organization in 1985 and
has been dedicated to eliminating violence against women.

She
was part of the Veil of Silence project, which filmed a documentary on
the issue of violence against women in several countries of the
Caribbean.

“It was all about removing the secrecy and silence of
the issue which was widespread but hardly talked about,” said
Thomas-Austin.

She said this should be the first step in
resolving issues related to women’s rights. At the same time, she
stressed the importance of having a properly-established and functioning
framework.

"It is important to ensure that there are laws and
policies in place to protect and respect women's rights and freedom, and
ensure that they are being upheld and implemented," she said.

Thomas-Austin
added it should be the role of NGOs to make sure that they hold
governments responsible for international treaties they have signed.

“Only then will women be able to exhibit their qualities in leadership positions,” she said.

She
said women possess different qualities compared to their male
counterparts ― they tend to be more sensitive and compassionate to
people’s needs, more collaborative and less competitive.

“There
is room for BOTH TYPES OF LEADERS as long as we have the opportunity and
women should not be denied that opportunity based on structural
barriers,” she said.

“Doraji,”
or balloon flower, is used a lot in herbal dishes in Korea. The herb is
effective in treating atopic dermatitis, according to a research team
at Kyunghee University’s Oriental Medicine College. The research was
published in the latest edition of “Biological & Pharmaceutical
Bulletin,” an international journal.

The team led by professor Bae Hyun-

su
and doctor Kim Jeong-jin at the school noted that incidences of atopic
dermatitis have increased dramatically recently, now affecting up to 20
percent of children in industrialized countries. Until recently, steroid
therapy was widely used for treatment, but it causes side effects.
There have been clinical trials on complementary or alternative
medicines, though their efficacy and safety remained mostly unclear.

The
researchers at Kyunghee noted that the “doraji” root has been used as a
traditional oriental medicine for the treatment of pulmonary and
respiratory disorders such as bronchitis, tonsillitis and asthma. “In
the concept of oriental medicine, the lung is believed to control the
skin; asthma and atopic eczema are both allergic diseases which are
dominated by allergen-specific Th2 cell immune responses,” the research
notes.

“And it has also known that atopic
dermatitis patients have a higher rate of incidence of asthma. So we
hypothesized that doraji, which has been used to treat asthma in the
oriental medicine, may also help treat atopic dermatitis.”

The
researchers fermented extracts from doraji with lactobacillus in
kimchi, as the lactic acid bacteria strains have been reported to reduce
some allergic manifestations in mice and humans.

Then
they fed mice that had atopic dermatitis with the fermented doraji. It
turned out that lesions decreased from 150 micrometers to 50 micrometers
in thickness.

“The research proved the effectiveness
in atopic dermatitis treatment by showing the mechanism discovered in
clinical tests, thus suggesting a new solution for treatment,” professor
Bae said.

“As overuse of immunosuppressant
hinders immunity of the skin, it could be problem for patients suffering
from atopic dermatitis from the mid- to long-term. We expect that
fermented doraji will open up possibilities for new medicine,” doctor
Kim said.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Gateaux et M’amie located in Hongik University area offers rich chocolatefondant as well as other desserts including pastries and mulled wine. / Courtesy of Rachel Lee

Over
the last two to three years, Seoul has seen lots of coffee places
spring up everywhere, especially outlets of massive franchises. And
Seoulites have in tandem developed a sweet tooth. New small dessert
cafes are sprouting throughout the city with simple yet unique and fresh
menus attracting a steady stream of people.

40192 Roll

Most roll cakes in Korea can be cloyingly sweet. But cafe 40192 Roll serves the softest, less sweet Japanese-style roll cakes.

“It’s much tenderer and definitely less greasy,” Kim Jin-a, a customer, told The Korea Times.

Gateaux et M’amie

Opened
in April this year, 40192 Roll, has been doing well. With a seating
capacity of about 15, the cafe is located in the quiet yet trendy
residential area of Kyungridan in Seoul’s Itaewon-dong.

“Our
customers ask what the number 40192 stands for. Well it’s the
circumference of the earth,” Nam Ran, the owner of the shop said Tuesday
in an interview. “I chose the specific measurement because you know,
when I thought of the way our cakes are rolled up, it seemed the earth
and the cakes have some sort of relevance in that sense.”

The
cakes are available in five flavors; plain, green tea, tiramisu,
caramel and chocolate. Of which, the plain ones are the best seller
along with coffees. The shop also offers delicious choux pastry and a
few other desserts including brownies and cheesecake.

“We
have very limited menu but it means I am 100 percent confident about
the quality and taste of our food, especially the rolls,” Nam said.

She added that all the patissiers at the cafe are Japanese-educated and make cakes with rice flour.

“Our
cream is also made from 100 percent milk and it makes the cakes a lot
softer. Many pregnant women and even diabetics visit our shop pretty
often for these reasons. They are easy to digest, plus they are not
sweet.”

40192
Roll in Itaewon-dong, top right, serves Japanese-style roll cakes,
choux pastry and a few other desserts including cheesecake and brownies.

Prices
for the cakes range from 4,000 to 4,500 won, and coffees and teas are
3,000 to 4,000 won. 40192 Roll is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Takeaways
are available. For more information, call (02) 790-4192.

Gateaux et M’amie

The
gooey chocolaty goodness of a chocolate fondant is irresistible to
many. French dessert cafe Gateaux et M’amie offers this rich treat for
the most devoted of chocolate lovers.

The small,
cozy cafe is located in the heart of the Hongik University area, a
trendy part of Seoul that meets the diverse tastes of young consumers.
Gateaux et M’amie’s version is luscious and is served with three
different sauces; cream anglaise, coulis framboise and glace chez
M’amie. It’s optional.

“We
have kept the same menu and prices since opening despite the rapidly
increasing number of big coffee chains,” owner and chef Jung Sung-ho
said Tuesday in an interview. Jung runs the cafe with his wife.

“You
know, some places in Apgujeong and Garosu-gil in Gangnam tend to orient
to fancier, pricier menus. I don’t want to follow suit and will just
stay where we are now instead,” Jung added.

Apart
from chocolate fondant, the cafe offers pastries like tarte tatin and
ananas caramel, all of which the chef explains, are healthier since they
are made with 100 percent pure butter, unlike big bakeries that use
processed butter. The chocolate fondant takes eight to nine minutes to
bake and the pastries take about 20 minutes.

Among
the drinks menu including eight different hot chocolates, coffees,
mulled wine and sodas, the citrus berry smoothie is a best seller,
especially among women.

“It was my idea to add
that smoothie and the funny thing is I didn’t expect it to be that
popular. I realized women are into things with berries,” the chef said.
“But it doesn’t mean most of our customers are female. More male
customers are coming to our cafe these days. Men are also big fans of
sweet dessert just like women.”

Jung describes
his cafe as “a place where you can enjoy your free time as long as you
want while enjoying homemade French desserts.”

Gateaux
et M’amie is open from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Prices range from 4,000 to
7,000 won. For more information, visit www.mamie.co.kr or call (02)
326-1095.

City bus tours of Incheon can be hard to beat for a relaxing
day out that takes in the beach, historic towns and modern city
landscape at the same time. The city offers three themed routes starting
from Incheon Station every morning for up to W10,000.

The bus starts off by heading to Korea's first museum on immigration, which includes a guided tour.

Unlike many bus tours, where boredom can set in as travelers
end up spending so much time being ferried between stops, this is not
the case as the driver continually regales travelers with witty
explanations about the area as they appreciate the scenery outside.

The
next stop is Incheon Port, where travelers can enjoy breathtaking city
views along with glimpses of the floodgate and inner harbor, not to
mention Incheon Bridge, the longest in Korea. For lunch, visitors can
enjoy various kinds of seafood at nearby Eulwang Beach. Meals are not
included in the package.

The final destination is the observatory at Incheon
International Airport and local waterways, both newly added to the
program. Adding to the tranquil scene, yachts float nonchalantly by and
kids ride bicycles along the shore.

"Sometimes I'm dying to take a
break but I don't want to be bothered with all the hassle of planning,
searching for places and making reservation. So tours like this are a
real godsend," said one visitor. " I'd like to join another city bus
tour next time."

Photo Credit: Gyeonggi Tourism Organization
The Gyeonggi International Travel Mart 2012, a travel
information and services expo, will be held from November 8th through
the 11th at KINTEX in Ilsan-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do Province.

Marking its 10th anniversary, the expo will invite over 40 major travel
agencies from home and abroad to present their products and services.
Visitors will be able to obtain information on traveling in different
regions in Korea and countries around the world, as well as on tours
with such themes as education, experience, festival, leisure, etc.

Moreover, the expo will host a series of subsidiary programs. A
highlight program will be the fashion show featuring 43 foreign
ambassadors to Korea, each walking down the runway in their traditional
costume and staging traditional performances.

The
government announced for awarding rapper Psy, who swept the
world with “Gangnam Style,” one of its highest cultural honors.

The
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Psy will receive the
Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit for his contribution to increasing the
world’s awareness and interest in K-pop and Korea.

Psy
Oppa will be awarding with the order — the fourth among five grades of orders
of cultural merit — on Nov. 19. Although, the Oppa will be unable to
attend the ceremony due to his overseas commitments.

The
35-year-old rapper’s “Gangnam Style” set a new paradigm for K-pop by
ranking second on the U.S. Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and topping the
British charts. The music video is currently the second most-watched
YouTube video of all time.

Psy
is currently in Europe to promote “Gangnam Style” and more than 20,000
people came to see him at Trocadero Square in Paris Monday.

He
will fly to the United Kingdom where he has been invited to be a guest
speaker at Oxford University’s Students Union, and then on to Frankfurt,
Germany to attend the MTV Europe Music Awards, where he has been
nominated for the Best Video.

Other
popular singers who received the medals, including Cho Yong-pil, Lee
Mi-ja and Ha Chun-hwa, have performed for more than 30 years and it is
exceptional for Psy to get the order of merit.

Along
with Psy, nine other cultural figures will receive the order. Kim
Ki-duk, director of “Pieta,” winner of the Golden Lion for best film at
this year’s Venice Film Festival, will receive the Eungwan Order of
Cultural Merit, the second highest award. The film’s leads Lee Jung-jin
and Cho Min-soo will also receive the Okgwan Order.

Born
in Afghanistan, Nezam arrived in Korea eight years ago. He followed his
father, who was sent to work as a cook for the Afghan Embassy in Seoul.

He
now has a student visa, and is studying political science and
international affairs at the Hankook University of Foreign Studies. In
two years, he will be eligible to apply for South Korean citizenship.

“I
want to be a Korean diplomat to promote Korea-Afghanistan relations,”
Nezam said in fluent Korean during a recent interview with The Korea
Times.

And all is on its way. He has been
working as a translator/interpreter for Afghans who come for Korea
International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) training since 2010.

His
primary responsibility is interpretation of lectures and translation of
texts. With its subjects varying from gender equality to agricultural
and medical development, he says the job has been a formidable learning
process for him, and his dream was also influenced by this experience.

In his Itaewon home, signs of hardships are easy to find.

The
apartment looks too small for the family of five currently occupying
it. They all share the living space, a situation that his younger
brother deplores.

At night the sofa in the
living room is converted into a bed for his father, then his mother
helps herself to the floor, covered with a Persian carpet.

The
family hardly gets by with his father’s meager monthly income. Nezam’s
earnings from KOICA are very precious as it covers the rest.

He
receives a scholarship from the university, which means he is required
to maintain good grades. He has school on Tuesday and Wednesday. The
rest of the week, including Sunday, he either works on KOICA projects or
does other work. Despite sometimes feeling overwhelmed Nezam instead of
complaining, prefers to count his blessings.

“Compared
to other people, especially people in Afghanistan, my situation is very
good. I do have a place to stay. I can walk outside safely. I have
running water and electricity,” he said.

Afghanistan
at the time of his departure was in deep ruin. A war waged by the
United States against the Taliban was engulfing the country. The capital
Kabul where his family was living at that time had become a ghost town
filled with gunbullet holes and rows of tanks. His unique status and
fluent language skill got him an interesting experience with TV. He was
invited to a couple of shows. For six months, he was a guest on
a“Misuda” style talk show comprising of guests of different cultural
backgrounds aired on KBS.

Korea is Nezam’s second home, and he truly means it when he says that.

What he has received from people around him is truly phenomenal.

The
most outstanding experience is the support and care he has received
from a local pastor here, since his High School days. The pastor
financed his high school tuition and other miscellaneous expenses.
Whilst touched by the pastor’s benevolence, he was struck more about the
level of religious tolerance in this country.

“He
never asks me about my religion. He never asks me to convert to
Christianity, after all these years of support. This really shows love
of Christianity and I do really respect that,” he said. He is a Muslim.

He also expressed thanks to his friends at the embassy, who have helped him and his family settle down in Seoul.

There
are very few Afghan immigrants in Korea and even amongst those here,
the majority are traders dealing in exporting garments from Korea to
Afghanistan. They live between Korea and Afghanistan.

“I’d like to give back to this country for the sake of others in future,” he said.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Korean pop singer Seo In-young, 27, a former member of the girl
dance group Jewelry, came back after a hiatus with a much slimmer
figure. "I was able to lose 6 kg in just two months through a strict
diet and exercise," Seo said. She became a huge proponent of bananas,
claiming that not only do they taste great, but they are terrific for
keeping your figure. What other types of fruit can help you lose weight
and make your skin more beautiful?

Seo In-young

◆ Bananas Great for Breakfast

People often skip
breakfast due to their busy schedules. But since bananas can be easily
eaten on the go, they make a great morning meal. Although a bit high in
calories (80 kcal p/100 g), they are low in sugar and rich in protein,
vitamins and minerals. They also contain fructooligosaccharides, which
are simple carbohydrates.

Dieting often leads to a significant
drop in intestinal movement due to the decreased amount of food intake
and this frequently results in constipation. But bananas contain pectin,
a soluble fiber that alleviates constipation. Pectin absorbs moisture
and makes a person feel full even when consumed in small amounts, while
stimulating the large intestine thereby curbing constipation. However,
unripened bananas contain tannin, which can cause constipation.

◆ Kiwis Effective in Lowering Fat

Kiwis
contain actinidin, a digestive enzyme that enables the body to absorb
animal proteins in the form of amino acids. Amino acids stimulate the
dissolution of fat in the body, and as a result excess fat inside the
intestines and other parts of the body is reduced. Kiwis also contain
substances that improve skin complexion, including antioxidants such as
vitamins A, C and E, which prevent aging.

◆ Tomatoes Low in Calories

While
you might not think of tomatoes as watery, they are actually about 65.2
percent water. To consume the same amount of calories as in a bowl of
rice, a person would have to eat 2.1 kg of tomatoes. This means that a
dieter can eat a lot of tomatoes without gaining weight, and the water
in them quenches thirst after exercising and lowers body temperature.
But eating tomatoes on an empty stomach triggers the secretion of
digestive fluids and can lead to heartburn. To prevent heartburn, eat
them cooked.

◆ Things to Watch Out For

A fruit-only diet
can shave off extra kilos in a short amount of time, but this is often
the result of dehydration stemming from nutritional imbalance. This can
lead to a yo-yo effect, with the lost weight being regained after the
diet ends.

"Different types of fruit contain different nutrients
so single-fruit diets are not a good idea," said Lee Yoo-sook, a
nutrition expert at Sogang University. "A basic rule of dieting is to
maintain nutritional balance by consuming a variety of different foods.”

Fruits are best consumed raw. Eating them in liquid form speeds
up digestion and ends up increasing sugar intake. Also, eating fruits
after a meal could have negative effects on health and dieting. Although
low in calories, fruits contain a great deal of sugar which can be a
burden on the stomach. The best time to eat them is on an empty stomach
or 30 minutes before a meal.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Doctors tend to disagree over whether drinking a glass of water
just after waking up in the morning is an effective way of treating
constipation, despite this being a widely-held belief in Korea.

Some
say its only useful property in this regard is that it delivers a jolt
of energy to the system if the water is cold and consumed quickly; while
others argue in favor of warmer water and some dismiss the entire
notion as an old wife's tale.

"Some people who suffer from
constipation have benefited from drinking a glass of water first thing
in the morning, and they have kept this up for a long time. But other
patients have seen no change in their condition," said Lee Bong-eun, a
physician at Pusan National University Hospital.

"In theory,
though, your intestines are not very active when you awake on an empty
stomach, so a glass of water could stimulate your digestive tract and
soften up the contents."

But Lee said the effects may vary from
person to person. He also advised those who have benefited from the
practice to switch over to consuming lukewarm water. "Gulping down
ice-cold water on an empty stomach could actually do more harm than good
to your digestive tract," he added.

This
is the 13th in a series of contributed articles by international and
Korean experts shedding light on Japan’s claim to Korea’s easternmost
islets of Dokdo and other affairs that illustrate Japan’s lack of
remorse over misdeeds it has committed. ― ED

“Dancing
together” is a skill of diplomacy that may apply even between enemies
who share the common goal of generating political gain in each other’s
jurisdiction by dancing together.

Of
course, initial responsibility for this dispute lies among the leaders
of an elite Japanese group. They never heartily recognized the harm they
inflicted on neighboring peoples before and during the colonial war
period.

Obviously, they do not have genuine
intentions to pay reparations to the “comfort” women or their
descendants and to correct ultra-right wing views as described in their
history books for the next generation of Korean and Japanese students.

Without
solving this puzzle by themselves, how can historical healing and
mutually-beneficial coexistence between former colonial powers and
colonized countries begin in Northeast Asia?

Korean
politicians are also to blame. Their excuse to escalate the territorial
dispute with Japan is to pressure the Japanese leadership to solve the
historical puzzle.

However, they are well aware that
territorial escalations will only delay any problem-solving efforts
between neighboring countries.

By creating headlining tensions between Seoul and Tokyo, political leaders on both sides are seeking immediate political gains.

Indeed,
the falling level of popularity of the political leaderships in Korea
and Japan is due to their respective current hard-line policies against
each other.

Tacit agreement of “dancing together” between political leaders across the East Sea seems to exist and functions well.

Other
than this popularity gain that is evanescent, there is nothing to gain
from engaging in a hot debate over the islands between the neighboring
countries.

The status quo is that Dokdo is under
Korean sovereignty, and has effectively been occupied by Korea for more
than half a century.

Experts acknowledge that the
basic position of the Japanese government is not to break that status
quo ― despite its political gesture of occasional protests ­― because
such breakage may only generate more troubling confrontations with the
neighboring states including China.

This means that there is no need for Korea to escalate the territorial dispute with Japan.

Any
further escalation will only make it more difficult to solve bilateral
problems, and have ramifications for economic, social and military
relations between the two countries.

Already,
serious symptoms are evident: for example, the only market in which the
invisible-horse dance by the Korean singer Psy is not popular is Japan.

At
the same time, Korean and Japanese leaders need to be aware that their
dancing together will necessarily induce the Chinese leadership into the
political popularity game.

Having its own
territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands with Tokyo, Beijing
cannot afford to remain silent. Indeed, the territorial confrontation
has become an infectious disease in the region.

While
global society is actively engaging in dialogues to pursue
comprehensive regional economic integrations such as Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP), ASEAN plus Six, and Pan-European Cumulation Zone,
Northeast Asia is struggling with a vicious cycle of debate over
territories.

It seems impossible to initiate talks
for the Korea-China-Japan trilateral Free Trade Agreement any time soon,
not to mention any genuine arrangements for financial, cultural and
environmental cooperation in the region.

One may
hope that politicians will cool down soon, and stop exploiting the
corrosive emotions of people and stimulating ultra-right groups in both
nations.

If this hope is helpless, and if their
dancing together doesn’t cease, it might become inevitable for the
international community to intervene in order to prevent a serious
crisis in Northeast Asia.

Indeed, it is likely that
Japan will unilaterally send a written submission to the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) soon, stating its claim over Dokdo.

It is true that without consent of the Korean government, the ICJ cannot exercise jurisdiction over the dispute.

Nonetheless,
upon further escalation, the Security Council of the United Nations
might confirm the existence of this international dispute (despite the
persistent denial of it by the Korean government) and recommend that
Korea and Japan solve the dispute peacefully under the United States
judicial system.

As a responsible member of the U.N.
system, with its citizen being the secretary general, Korea cannot
continuously ignore such recommendation.

Unfortunately
for Korea, it is obvious that the current political atmosphere in the
region seems to drive the Korean people gradually into this possible
scenario.

Although politicians are short-sighted,
bureaucrats and people in Korea need to be prepared for that possibility
on a long term basis.

Their preparation should start by answering a series of questions: Is Korea ready for legal debates in the international court?

While
the final text of the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952 is silent
about the territorial ownership over Dokdo, can Korea still persuade ICJ
judges by relying upon its drafting context in which colonial
imperialism of Japan is generally condemned?

Can
Korea make a credible and acceptable submission based on the ancient
Korean record called the “Samguk Sagi”, which refers to a Korean general
named Yi Sa-bu who conquered the Usan Kingdom, which allegedly included
Ulleung Island and its satellite Dokdo?

How can
Korea prove that its occupation of Dokdo over 60 years is “continuous
and peaceful control” while Japan has regularly expressed its opposition
and protest against the Korean occupation?

If
answers to these questions are not apparent or if the answer is not
confidently “yes,” my recommendation to the Korean people is that they
should spend precious time and energy studying hard to substantiate
their claims, instead of going out on the streets where disputes will
only escalate.

Plus, they should remember not to vote for those politicians who imposed those questions on them.

A poster for the 1926 film “Arirang.” Traditional folk song Arirang has inspired various cultural genres. / Yonhap

Korea’s
traditional folk song “Arirang” has been recommended to be listed as an
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by a UNESCO subsidiary body
that has examined nominations from countries around the world.

The
subpanel of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding
of Intangible Cultural Heritage recommended Arirang be placed on the
list after screening 36 nominations, according to the Cultural Heritage
Administration (CHA) Monday.

A final decision
will be made in the main committee meeting set to be held from Dec. 3 to
7 at the U.N. body’s headquarters in Paris, the agency said.

Korea
currently has 14 items on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage
of humanity, including the Royal Ancestral Rite and Ritual Music at the
Jongmyo Shrine, which the kings of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) used
in ancestral memorial ceremonies, and “pansori,” a traditional Korean
style of narrative song.

“The subpanel highly
rated Arirang for having been constantly recreated generation after
generation, playing an important role in forming an identity of Koreans
and consolidating unity among them,” a CHA official said.

Seoul
previously planned to make a joint request with North Korea for UNESCO
to recognize Arirang as World Heritage, but made a solo bid in June
instead. Cultural officials from both sides have not been able to
discuss the issue since the sudden death of former North Korean leader
in December 2011.

The application was a belated
response to China’s registration of Arirang as its own national
intangible cultural heritage last August, claiming that it was a folk
song of an ethnic Korean group living in the northeastern part of the
country.

Arirang is not just one song but a
variety of local versions handed down throughout Korea. Experts estimate
the total number of folk songs carrying the title “Arirang” at some
3,600 variations belonging to about 60 versions.

Arirang
in pre-modern times conveyed the joys and sorrows of commoners in
traditional society. During the colonial period, it gave expression to
personal and national sufferings of Koreans and fanned hopes for
independence in their hearts.

As the song has
been around for more than 600 years, it is in the heart of not just
South Koreans but for those in the North as well.

Today,
Arirang serves to unite the Korean people. The unified team of South
and North Korea sang Arirang as they marched together in the opening
ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Film director Kim Ki-duk sang the
song instead of giving a thank-you speech when his film “Pieta” won the
top prize at Venice Film Festival.

Arirang
itself has been a popular subject and motif in diverse arts and media,
including cinema, musicals, drama, dance and literature. With surging
interest in Korean popular music abroad, Arirang today has greater
potential for global exposure as Korea’s foremost cultural emblem and
source of fresh musical inspiration.

Olympic champion Kim Yu-na skated to an Arirang theme, “Homage to Korea,” at the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships.

There's just so much to see in Seoul, it may take a few trips to the Korean capital before a traveler's mind turns to seeing places outside the city.
Apart from the terrible traffic on weekends, traveling around Korea
is not as daunting as it may seem, with government-launched initiatives
such a foreigner-only national bus tours, and convenient high-speed trains from central Seoul.
So when the city's fast pace and crowds get too overwhelming, some
time away might be just the thing. Here are nine great day and weekend
trips, according to season.

Fall

1. Heyri Art Valley, Paju

The flowers are definitely a lovely respite from Seoul's steel and concrete. Just north of Seoul is a valley officially described
as “the loveliest village on earth/all artists are dreaming.” It's an
ambitious statement that seems believable once you’re actually there.
In Paju, nearly 400 artists have contributed to one of the most
carefully created villages in Korea. What was once a desolate and
conventionally ugly expanse of land has now become a haven for artists.
Visitors can see firsthand how the painters, photographers, musicians
and other creatives who live and work there create and thrive, and can
even join in and learn a few crafts themselves.
But those who aren’t too good with their hands can still find plenty
to enjoy. There are enough museums, book stores, cafés and restaurants
to occupy even the most left-brained.How to get there
Head to Hapjeong Station (Line 2) and get on bus #200 or #2200 from Exit 2 and get off at Heyri First Gate.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: 90 minutes
Approximate cost: ₩2,100 (US$2)More on CNN: 5 reasons to visit Paju Book City

2. Busan

The
second largest city in Korea, Busan isn't exactly a pastoral getaway.
But it's not just a smaller Seoul -- it has the advantage of the sea. This
southern city is one of Korea’s most well-known locations outside of
Seoul. Some travelers even choose Busan as their primary destination for
a Korea vacation, but that doesn’t mean that the trip can’t be done in
just a day, thanks to the incredibly convenient KTX, Korea’s express
train.
With good planning, a plane trip to Busan may cost only a little more than the KTX, shaving even more off the travel time.
And though Busan is famous for its beaches, there are plenty of
sights to see and things to eat not involving getting stuck in a crowd
of sun-fearing beachgoers.
You can eat hoe at the Jagalchi Fish Markets and then head to the
Haeundae district, where you will find the famous Haeundae Beach, the
Busan Aquarium, Dalmaji Hill, Jangsan Mountain and Shinsegae Centum City
for shopping.Given the relatively long travel time, a weekend trip may make more sense. How to get there
Take the KTX from Seoul Station (Line 1, 4, A’REX, Gyeongui) to Busan Station.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: 2.5 hours by train, four hours by car.Approximate cost: ₩110,000 (US$100) for KTX roundtrip.More on CNN: Pocket guide to Busan: 11 best eats and sights

Winter

1. Jisan Forest Resort

Instead of a crowded club in Seoul, this could be your Saturday night. Jisan
Resort may be better known for its summer bash Jisan Valley Rock
Festival, but the sloping green hills that turn into stages for
international musicians are actually more regularly used as ski slopes.
While no ski resort that’s close to Seoul is going offer very
challenging runs, Jisan Forest Resort is perfect for a quick
ski/snowboarding fix.
There are almost 10 slopes and five lifts, and lessons (in Korean and
English) are available. Food is available inside the resort, but the
area surrounding the resort has plenty of supermarkets and restaurants
as well.How to get there
Shuttle: reserve a spot on the free shuttle bus via the website or call +82 31 644 1552.
Public transportation: head to Express Bus Terminal (Line 9) and take the bus to Ichon Terminal (이촌종합터미널) and take bus #12 or a taxi to Jisan Resort.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: 40-60 minutesApproximate cost: ₩35,000 (US$32) for bus and taxi roundtrip

2. Bearstown Resort

If
you're looking at these kids and thinking, "Amateurs!" you're probably
right. Bearstown is more about bunny slopes and safety. But that just
makes it perfect for curious beginners.Bearstown is
another resort that won’t offer much in the way of challenges for
experienced skiers/snowboarders, but it is an option for those looking
to just have a fun snow day.
The resort not only has 11 slopes and nine lifts, but also offers
several sledding slopes as well as lessons and inexpensive rental
equipment.
As it is a beginner friendly resort, there may be an excess of
youngsters and snow bunnies, but if the slopes get too crowded,
Bearstown also has an indoor pool, tennis court, sauna, bowling alley
and more.How to get there
Shuttle: free and paid shuttle buses are available and reservations can be made online or by calling +82 31 540 5000.
Public transportation: take the #11 bus from Gangbyeon Station and get off at Bearstown Resort.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: 90 minutes

Spring

1. Boseong (Green Tea Fields)

The tea fields at Boseong have been the backdrop for many a love story, both real and fictitious. Boseong's
green tea fields may be a little too obscure to dedicate a full
vacation to, while far enough from Seoul to deter enough travelers from
making a quick trip.
But while the travel time is long for a day trip, as long as you
depart early, there’s enough time to go and be back in time to make the
last subway train home. We recommend a weekend trip, however.
The fields are beautiful and the trip is a nice breather --
literally, since the fresh scent of tea is everywhere. Visitors can walk
through the seemingly endless fields of the Daehan Plantation for a
small admission fee.
The surrounding restaurants offer plenty of green tea-flavored
goodies, including green tea samgyeopsal, ice cream and rice cake soup.
The annual Green Tea Festival takes place in the spring, when
visitors can pick their own tea leaves, make tea and other products, as
well as view several exhibitions.
For those with enough time, Yulpo Beach is 10 minutes away by bus,
where a green tea-themed spa features deep seawater mixed with green
tea. Transportation back to Boseong Terminal also tends to be easier
from Yulpo Beach.How to get there
Bus: from the Express Bus Terminal, take the bus to Boseong Beolgyo
Express Terminal and take a bus headed to Yulpo Beach or take a taxi to
the green tea fields for approximately ₩10,000 (US$9).
Train: take the KTX from Yongsan Station to Gwangju, and then
transfer from the Gwangju Bus Terminal and take a bus headed to Boseong
Beolgyo Express Terminal. From the terminal, transfer to Yulpo
Beach-headed bus, or take a taxi.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: five hours
Approximate cost: ₩70,000 (US$64) for KTX and taxi roundtrip, ₩55,000 (US$50) for bus and taxi roundtrip

2. Jinhae

Jinhae may have more than just cherry blossom trees, but judging by this photo, cherry blossom trees are reason enough to go. Jinhae
is another place that’s a little far for a day trip, but on the flip
side, it is also one of the best places in the world to see the cherry
blossoms in the spring.
Of course, this naval city is home to a lot more than just cherry
blossom trees, but the Naval Academy and museum are only open to the
public during the annual Jinhae Naval Festival, a festival commemorating
one of Korea's biggest heroes from history, Admiral Yi Sun-shin.
But be warned: the festival, combined with the allure of the cherry
blossoms, means that there will be swarms of tourists, so unless it's a
personal must, long lines are only a waste of time.
Hardier tourists can also walk up Mount Jangbok, which has been paved
with stairs, and be rewarded with a view of the 300,000 or so cherry
trees in blossom.

How to get there

Bus: take a bus from Seoul Express Terminal to Masan Express Terminal
and take a bus to Jinhae, or take a bus from Nambu Bus Terminal to
Jinhae Bus Terminal.
Train: take the KTX from Seoul Station so Miryang, and transfer to the Saemaeul train to Jinhae.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: three to five hours, depending on traffic and mode of transportation.
Approximate cost: ₩100,000 (US$91) for KTX roundtrip, ₩50,000 (US$46) for bus and taxi roundtrip

Summer

1. Daecheon Beach (Boryeong)

A roomier alternative to claustrophobically crowded beaches like the more popular Haeundae in Busan. Boryeong is famous for its mud festival,
but getting dirty isn’t the only thing that the city offers. The city’s
Daecheon Beach is three kilometers long and filled with people actually
playing in the water and the sand, rather than hiding out under
umbrellas (although those are available as well).
The tide comes in early during the summer, and the lifeguards will clear out the beach for a few hours.
Once that happens, you can head out for an early dinner as there are
restaurants a-plenty selling seafood all along the shore. There's also
the Daecheon Fish Market, which is about a five-minute cab ride away,
where visitors can choose from an assortment of fish for fresh hoe and
seafood stew.How to get there
Train: take a train from Yongsan Station headed to Daecheon Station
and transfer to a bus bound for Daecheon Beach or take a taxi
(approximately 10 minutes).
Bus: take a bus from either Express Bus Terminal or Nambu Bus
Terminal headed to Boryeong Bus Terminal and transfer to a local bus to
Daecheon Beach or a taxi.
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: three hours
Approximate cost: ₩40,000 (US$37) for bus and taxi roundtrip

2. Nami Island

With avenues like these, we suspect Nami Island would have been popular without its Korean drama fame. This
tiny island is the final resting place of General Nami but most
visitors come not to pay their respects to the famous Joseon Dynasty
general, but to see the location of the mega-hit Korean drama, Winter
Sonata. But if that latter fact is a deterrent, rather than an
incentive, there’s more to see than just signs pointing out the filming
locations of a decade-old drama.
The island, which declared its cultural independence in 2006, offers
bike rentals as well as an electric car tour, but also has cleared out
walking paths, all of which help the island stay environmentally
friendly.
The island also has a small theme park with merry-go-rounds, not
roller coasters, a sky-bike where pairs can "cycle" on a track five
kilometers long and six meters aboveground, a large outdoor pool and
other activities.

How to get there

Shuttle: reserve a spot online or call +82 2 753 1247 for a bus from Insadong or Jamsil Station. Approximate cost: ₩15,000 (US$14) roundtrip
Train: take the subway to Gapyeong Station and take a bus or taxi to Gapyeong Wharf (Nami Island)
Bus: take a bus from East Seoul Terminal to Gapyeong Bus Terminal and take a bus or taxi to Gapyeong Wharf (Nami Island).
From the wharf, take a five-minute ferry ride to the island or take a
one-minute zipline from Nami Skyline Zipwire Ziprider Tower (₩38,000, approximately US$35).Approximate travel time from central Seoul: three hours

3. DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)

At Dora Observatory, you can try to squint across the DMZ to catch a
glimpse of North Korea, or you can enjoy the greenery of the wildlife
haven that is the DMZ itself. The world’s most heavily
militarized border in the world is an odd place to become a top tourist
destination, but somehow it’s the most popular -- among foreign
travelers, anyway.
As there are few other places in South Korea where visitors can get
so close to North Korea, the DMZ, at the 38th parallel, continues to
attract hundreds of thousands of tourists despite numerous border
conflicts.
South Korean citizens are not allowed near the border, and even
foreigners must go as part of an official tour. The USO (United Service
Organization), Korail and Incheon International Airport, among others,
all run tours to the DMZ and back.

Depending on the tour, visitors can go inside a North Korean
infiltration tunnel, stand on the Freedom Bridge and access the Odusan
or Dora Observatory, the Joint Security Area and more.
The atmosphere lends itself to a mostly obedient crowd. It's a good
idea to check for permission before taking photos, unless you are
prepared to risk the ire of the soldiers on guard.

How to get there
Book a tour (USOIncheonKorail).
Approximate travel time from central Seoul: one hour
Approximate cost: ₩70,000 (US$64) for a booked tour.